Ankeny, IA

Heritage Park

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2.925(based on 13 reviews)
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8 0
FredHJ12
Experience: 12.6 years 18 played 18 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Interesting 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 26, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Park seems dedicated to disc golf
-Right off the interstate, should be pretty easy to find
-Very big piece of land, and a bit of elevation on holes 6-11
-21 holes total
-The cement tee pads are nice
-Baskets caught well
-Very wide variety of shots. Some nice technical shots as well as a few bombers
-Chances for aces if you hit the right line
-The course was in nice shape when I was there, and I'm glad it was taken care of well considering it's a bigger piece of land

Cons:

-Course flow wasn't awful but just a bit difficult and awkward. Didn't always know where I was throwing and I thought the tee signs were more confusing than they should've been
-A lot of baskets are right by each other, and it just seemed very crammed
-If the river/creek is high, some of the course may be unplayable. May not be able to cross the walkway to get to 6-11, and the rest of the park could be underwater

Other Thoughts:

I feel that this course is slightly above average the way it is right now. There are a wide variety of shots and there was a decent amount of fun factor for me. However, I feel that this course needs a bit of an overhaul to realize more of the potential it has. Taking away a few holes would make the cramming less of an issue, and better signage/course flow would be very beneficial in my opinion. Overall, it is a pretty decent course that you should try out if you are nearby, but if you can only hit one or two in the Des Moines Area, Ewing and Grandview would be better options in my opinion.
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1 4
seadog19
Experience: 16 years 10 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Love It 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 2, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Large course with plenty of variety in holes.
Elevation changes, wooded and non-wooded holes, dog-legs and many more fun challenges.

Cons:

Can be muddy and crossing the creek is annoying if you don't want to get wet

Other Thoughts:

This isn't the best review, andI haven't played this course in a long while because of college, but i can tell anyone who wants to play this course that they should! Its amazingly fun to play.
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4 5
knobby325
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 8.7 years 323 played 248 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Heritage Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 20, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

***COMPLETE RE-WRITE***
-Concrete Tees
-Multiple Tee Pads / Multiple Basket Locations
-Baskets are OK
-Good Map at Start
-Basic Signage, but OK
-Holes 6-11 are a nice adventure
-Mostly disc golf park with one shelter

Cons:

-Crossing the creek to hole 6-11 can be a bit treacherous when the creek is up
-The last few holes seem jammed into the space
-The low areas can get soggy and muddy when it's been wet
-Can get busy, especially on the weekend

Other Thoughts:

Heritage Park DGC is located on the east side of Ankeny, IA. The second oldest DGC in the Des Moines area, the course runs 21 holes in 2 sections of the park. Holes 1-5 and 12-21 are in the main part of the park with holes 6-11 across Four Mile Creek and in their own section. I enjoy these 6 holes the most as this is where the elevation comes into play, you have a couple of blind shots from the tee, and you get a good mix of wooded/open, long/short. The remainder of the course plays mostly straightforward with some variation on distance, but #4 does require a good left fade. Even having played this a few times, I still need the map to figure out a few locations (e.g. which basket is #12 [#17 basket is very close], where you are headed for #15, etc.) The crossing to hole 6-11 can be underwater with much of any rain, although you can drive around to a small place to park near #9 basket to play those holes. The last few holes, really about 18-21, seem jammed into the space. 19, 20 and 21 all shoot the same direction and you walk back to the next tee from the basket. This park can get busy at times as the only other course in town is at the local bible college and is private. The low areas here get pretty muddy with a decent rain and that will also make getting across to 6-11 a soggy shoe event (which I have done.) This course has grown on me over time, though. I really enjoy 6-11 and wish there was more of the course in that area, could almost make 9 holes there and 9 holes in the rest of the park. Adding updated signage, a better crossing, and maybe a better configuration would add to the rating here. Like I said, the course is growing on me and I will definitely play again.
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5 0
MitchMileHigh
Experience: 19.8 years 40 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Decent 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Easy to find course if you have GPS on your phone, and easy to find hole 1.
-Park seems to be completely dedicated to Disc Golf.
-Located less than a mile from the main street in Ankeny.
-Good mix of backhand and forehand shots.
-Offers 21 holes
-Nice baskets with hole number on each one.
-Nice elevation on holes 6-11
-Good mix of short, medium, and longer holes.
-Some great chances for ace runs.
-Multiple tee's on some but not all holes and multiple pin placements on each hole.
-A nice creek separates holes 6-11 from the rest.

Cons:

-A course map would have been helpful. I threw to the wrong basket a few times.
-The tee signs say the yardage but do not give a map of the hole's layout.
-Seems like a lot of the holes play on top of one another, like they tried to cram as many holes as the could into such a small park.
-I can see flooding being a major problem.
-Have to cross the creek to get to holes 6-11 on a cement bridge that had part of the creek running over it, my shoes got soaked, but I'm glad I crossed because the best holes are 6-11.

Other Thoughts:

This course has a lot of potential if it wasn't for flooding problems.
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6 0
MidwestZest
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 103 played 72 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Wet. Is it always wet? I feel like it's always wet. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 31, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Nice and secluded. Lots of mature trees, and a decent amount of obstacles. #6 - #11 are quite scenic.
- Not used very much for anything other than disc golf, that I can tell. Although there are tons of benches and grills.
- Two pin placements for all the holes. Some provide different looks, others are just longer. Reasonably well done, and thoughtful.
- Porta-john and a shelter on site. Trash cans EVERYWHERE, which is nice.
- #2 has a nice, long pin position that I would like to have played. However, the short pin was in. It probably can only be played in the dry, anyhow.
- #7 has a funky hole layout. It looks weird on paper, and weirder from the tee. It has a straight away, uphill, 150'-175' drive, into a property fence, followed by a 90 degree left turn, followed by another 150' or more to the basket. As dumb as it looked and felt, it actually requires a lot of skill. If you don't hit the layup area, which is probably 30' x 30', then you won't have a good look at the basket, and won't get a 3. Quite challenging.
- #10 is a fun, short, wooded, uphill shot. In the short position, it's a fun but challenging ace hole.
- #15 has a cool looking long pin placement, guarded by two mature trees.

Cons:

- As I see other reviews have noted, this course was very wet when I played. It's in a creek basin by the looks of it, so that's not surprising. I had to tip-toe and hop all around the course, and still there was no avoiding getting soaked to the bone.
- The bridge from 5 to 6 (and back from 11 to 12) is really a concrete spillway. It was under water when I played, so I played 6-11 after driving around and parking on the street.
- There really are just too many holes here. It's evident from the re-numbers on 12-21 that the course used to just play on the east side of the creek. 6-11 are a wonderful addition, but that has not remedied how tight the layout is on the east side. Baskets very near tees, fairways that are quite close. Not to mention picnic benches and grills all around.
- Wood pallets and other boards have been put out on the course over places the obviously stay wet a lot of the time. It's a nice gesture, that I appreciate. However, it almost just goes toward making the course feel more janky.
- #15 very much brings the parking lot into play, particularly in the long position.
- #18-#21 feel quite repetitive.

Other Thoughts:

- Playing this course when wet is a bear. Obviously, if this is just an infrequent occurrence, then it shouldn't affect the rating. However, between the state of the course, the makeshift bridges, and seeing some reviews on here, it's obvious that it is perhaps more frequent than not.
- I had a good time on a Sunday morning, even though I got quite wet. The course actually took me a long time to play, between taking my time walking around water, and a few navigation issues.
- Only course in Ankeny, and perhaps worth visiting if you're staying in Ankeny. Otherwise there are plenty of other great courses within 15-30 minutes that are much more worth your time.
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2 2
StingHP
Experience: 11.9 years 53 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Here nor There 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Concrete Pads
Some tricky bakset/holes that require shot planning
Terrain usage on holes 6-11
Scorecards with maps on the back

Cons:

The front feels like a jumbled mess from 18-21. My big peeve with them is the backtracking with 19-20-21.

Other Thoughts:

Parts of the course I enjoy while other parts I play to get through to the next hole. I have never had a problem with parking, granted I play in the morning to early afternoon.

If more of the area beyond the creek was used for holes lessening the amount on the front. My score would increase 0.5-1.0.

The bridge is a permanent concrete bridge with culvert underneath to allow the water to flow under. After a good rain this can easily be topped and may not allow access to the back holes without driving around to them.
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1 2
DjKilliQuik
Experience: 21.8 years 57 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Lots of holes. Good variety of holes. Holes in the back woods are pretty fun and technical when you can get across the stream. Lots of fun short holes at the front of the course. Good solid long wholes in the back.

Cons:

One of my pros is a con. Lots of holes. It feels like they just stuck a lot holes in after it was already made. Can be kind of confusing. The course doesnt flow as well as it could. Not a big fan of the "bridge" going to the back woods holes. Maybe build an actual bridge so i dont have to walk around in wet shoes for the rest of the round.
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6 1
gullydwarf
Experience: 14.3 years 33 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 21, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

concrete tees. mach 3 baskets. some challenging shot decisions. a good number of trees. has lots of picnic tables to sit. has about 1 trashcan per 2 holes. decent elevation changes for holes 7-11.

Cons:

holes are too cramped together. when I played, there was no map/scorecards. a little confusing on where some of the next tees where. sections of holes 6-11 not mowed. dead-fallen tree in front of tee 6. bridge to holes 6-11 impassable-flooded. for the number of trashcans there seemed to be a lot of litter on the ground, ie- beer cans and empty cig packs. recent flooding put a lot of sand on the tees. only found 1 port-a-pot for bathrooms.

Other Thoughts:

one of the locals told me that there was a little parking lot on the south side of course to play holes 6-11, since the bridge was flooded. there seemed to be plenty of room on the other side of the river to expand the course. overall was not a bad course to play. even one of the locals playing forgot where one of the next tees where.
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4 1
dustbuster232000
Experience: 23.8 years 30 played 10 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Ankeny's only option 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 23, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Concrete boxes with most holes having alternate start. Mach 3 baskets are in good shape. Holes six through eleven opposite the creek are good use of terrain.

Cons:

Creek bridge prone to flooding the culverts need to be cleaned out to allow proper water flow. some what over compact course and could be reduced to a standard eighteen holes or expanded to be twenty seven using the new open ground opposite the creek.

Other Thoughts:

Have spoken earlier in the year with parks manager and as promised missing basket was replaced on 4th hole, I have also spoken with the Ankeny parks department and they are going to do their best to clear the bridge culverts so it can be crossed again.
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3 4
SpikeHyzer
Experience: 21.1 years 110 played 33 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Crammed.... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 19, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Concrete tee pads...mach 3 baskets...that's it

Cons:

This course has quite a few holes crammed into it. The holes that are across the river are decent, but they are usually unplayable for most of the season.

Other Thoughts:

I would skip this one if you have a choice.
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4 0
cydisc
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.9 years 257 played 84 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Lots of potential not realized 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 16, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Concrete tees. Mach 3 baskets. Lots of trees. Some water.

Cons:

Can't get to part of the course when creek is up. A few too many holes for the land. Parking lot comes into play on a hole. Some picnic tables also in play. Persistent standing water after big rains.

Other Thoughts:

The course starts out well enough but quickly becomes apparent that there are problems it must overcome before living up to its potential. After holes 1-5, which are fine holes with a decent balance of shot shapes and a variety of distances, you are faced with a bridge to #6 that may or may not be passable depending on the level of the water in the creek. Most of the season of 2008, this part of the course was inaccessible from the rest of the course. If you are able to get across, holes 6-11 are interesting and varied holes that play through the woods and then you walk back across the bridge. The remaining 10 holes would be better suited as 7 holes to make it an 18 hole course instead of 21. There are just too many holes packed into that remaining piece of ground, yielding some uninspired holes that could be a lot better considering the potential of the terrain.
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2 2
garublador
Experience: 20 years 7 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 25, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Good variety of holes, good use of land, nice shelter, back side of course over creek has good, wooded holes, course maps provided.

Cons:

Gets flooed after rain, plays a bit too short in the shorter pins, confusing layout.

Other Thoughts:

The back side is under construction. Hopefully the "bridge" will be useable after it's done.
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2 1
ACurry916
Experience: 6 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Heritage Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 31, 2007 Played the course:never

Pros:

Nice mixture of left to right holes! Fairly open course! 7-11 are good challenges! with elevation changes!

Cons:

Course layout from basket to tee pads seem to run back and forth and are confusing! No direct path to next hole or signs to point you in the right direction! They do have score cards with maps available some times if your lucky (which are nice to have!)

Other Thoughts:

It has challenges and is a great beginners course!
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